Country star Glen Campbell's widow is opening up about their rocky 35-year marriage, which was haunted by aggression, drug and alcohol addiction. Kim Campbell admitted there were times when she found her late husband "vulgar" and "dangerous" but she stood by his side until the day he died on Aug. 8, 2017 at age 81 after a six-year battle with Alzheimer's.
Now she is telling all in her new book "Gentle On My Mind: In Sickness and in Health With Glen Campbell."
Kim writes of their first date that soured after Glen drank too much and tried to "jump her bones," according to Daily Mail. She recalls how he "turned into a big fat toad and turned vulgar."
Yet Glen had a certain charm that kept Kim drawn to him. She put up with countless drunken nights and took his intimidation every time she confronted him about his addiction issues.
One night Glen allegedly pointed a gun at her in "a crazed drunken rage" and on a separate occasion he reportedly got so drunk that he locked himself out of his hotel room and could not get back inside.
The turning point came in 2003 when a drunk-driving arrest in Phoenix produced a widely published, unflattering mug shot and a painful reminder for Campbell of the price of addiction. He spent a few days in the Maricopa County Jail and a month in rehabilitation at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California.
Then in 2009 he was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. Glen was deeply paranoid and would grow aggressive towards Kim.
"His diminishing ability to reason and comprehend language made any effort to correct him potentially dangerous," she explained.
Eventually Glen completely forgot who Kim was. Alzheimer's robbed them of their lives, Kim said, and it has done so for countless other families too.
"We need to find a cure for this ... so much pain should not exist in the world," she wrote.
Campbell made 11 albums certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 500,000 copies, plus four albums certified platinum for exceeding 1 million, and one album, "Wichita Lineman," certified double platinum for 2 million in sales.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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